BOUNTIFUL — Studies used by Deseret Media to target its audience show that 56 percent of American adults share similar values to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said Keith Brigham McMullin, CEO of Deseret Management Corp. and former second councilor in the church’s presiding bishopic.

He spoke to the Centerville chapter of the Sons of the Utah Pioneers on Tuesday.

It’s important for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to keep up with technology to spread the values of church members, McMillian said.

To reach these “like-minded believers,” McMillan said the media corporation began focusing more “on what people are interested in,” including education of our nation’s youth, caring for the poor, faith and financial responsibility.

That change in focus can be seen at the Deseret News, KSL, the Church News, Deseret Book and the radio stations owned by Deseret Media, he said.

McMillan told SUP members his own experience of finding LDS values shared by people worldwide.

He and his wife were in Indonesia and were visiting a Muslim man. When they arrived at the man’s home, they had to wait for a few minutes. When the man appeared he told them he had been on the phone with his 15-year-old son in Orem, Utah. McMillan asked why his son was in Utah and the man told him he as studying there.

The man told McMillan he had asked his son if there were any pretty girls and the son told his father that “girls can’t even look at a boy until they’re 16,” the man told McMillan.

That made the father feel better about his son living so far from home, and indicated to McMillan that people worldwide share many LDS values.

McMillan said the church has always spread its message. Even in it’s early days, it sent missionaries abroad.

Spreading that message has become easier through the Internet, social media and cell phone, he said.

It’s important for those who may not use computers or cell phones to learn to use them, not only to spread the LDS message, but to pass on church members’ pioneer roots to another generation and to “write the history of our collective future today,” he said.